Death to the Lady
by The Crafty Cracker
Summary: When Gray Fullbuster was forced to marry Juvia Loxar to claim his inheritance, he didn't find even the slightest bit of attraction towards her. In fact, no one predicted that she would fall head over heels in love with him. And no one told him that he had to be faithful to her. It is then that he decided that he would, in every sense of the phrase, "bring death to the lady".
1. Chapter 1

**Most of the time, luck is not on my side.**

**Forgive me, but I had to surrender to four plot bunnies that infested my brain today. They keep on bugging me and I can't finish the tenth chapter of Bloody Banquet until I've released these little monsters. It sucks to be me.**

**My nineteenth story.**

**Hope I find the strength and the liveliness to finish this. **

_**Summary: When Gray Fullbuster was forced to marry Juvia Loxar to claim his inheritance, he didn't expect to find even the slightest bit of attraction towards her. In fact, no one predicted that she had to fall head over heels in love with him. And no one told him that he had to be faithful to her.**_

**Death to the Lady**

_**A Gray Fullbuster x Juvia Loxar AU fanfic**_

Chapter 1

_To Kill the Lady_

A year and a half ago, a quiet civil wedding between a young man and woman of two very influential families occurred.

This was not a story of how they met.

This was not a story of how the man saw the woman and promised to sweep her off her feet or die trying.

This was not a story of how the woman hesitated to love the man because of his past.

This was not a story of how the two of them defied all odds just to be together.

In fact, this was not a story of love in all of its glorious, happy, sappy forms.

This was the story of how a man can kill a woman.

This was the story of how any man can effectively snuff the life out of a woman.

For the sake of whatever it was they want to have.

It was all about bringing death to _the _lady.

In this case, Gray Fullbuster only wanted one thing – to claim his inheritance.

At the age of 21, it was stated in the will of Red Fullbuster and his wife, Ul Milkovich that he would inherit the conglomerate that they built with their lives.

No one expected the youngest child to inherit everything, since Gray had two older siblings who could have taken on the reigns. But no one foresaw what fate had in store for them. Ultear Milkovich, born from Ul but with a different father, died with the said man in a plane crash that left the matriarch devastated. Five years after the death of four-year-old Ultear and her father, Ul remarried. His name was Heron Vastia. However, the man was an abusive sluggard and after a year, the two divorced. With their union, they had a son named Lyon.

A year after the divorce, Ul married for the final time. His name was Red and he was also a businessman. A year after their marriage, they had Gray.

If Ultear had not died, she would have had everything. Gray and Lyon wouldn't have existed.

If Lyon didn't give up his claim to the position to find his father, then he would have inherited it.

So now, everything was left to Gray. Now, after his father died seven years ago because of a heart attack and when his mother recently succumbed to leukemia, everything was left up to Gray.

On one condition.

He had to marry on his 21st birthday to a woman that his parents already arranged for him.

He was very much against the primitive setup. In the first place, he had a girlfriend with whom he was very much in love with. She wasn't just any woman, but also an heiress and a socialite. He was intending to marry her when the both of them were ready. But this was not to be. If he wanted to uphold the life that he had until he died and if he wanted to honor the memory of his mother and father, then he would have to do as he was told.

He couldn't find Lyon now after everything his half-brother had done. And he was sure that the bastard wouldn't indulge his younger brother's request to be a sacrificial lamb because the will said that the eldest child of Ul had to marry into this mysterious family that Gray didn't know.

Gray realized that the agreement was made way before he was born. It may even have existed before Ultear was born herself.

When his parents' lawyers came to read the will, Gray was flabbergasted. Firstly because of the fact that everything was left to him. Not a single property or even a single cent was left to Lyon. Not that he was surprised. Ul was very disappointed in her other son for actually trying to seek out a father that did nothing but abuse her. The last bomb dropped on Gray's lap was that of his impending wedding to a complete stranger.

The contract stated that in order to gain his inheritance, he had to marry a certain woman before his birthday, which was only a month away at that time. It also stated that they had to produce an offspring within the first four years of their marriage or else risk the loss of the inheritance altogether. Lastly, it said that annulment or divorce was out of the question, fortified with the same threat of losing everything.

Gray wanted to murder all of the lawyers right then and there. What did he do to deserve this?! He had been nothing but a good son to his parents. He never defied them. He was perfect compared to Lyon. He worked hard and diligently in order to prove himself worthy of taking over the company. So, why?

After that announcement, he had to find his girlfriend to tell her the bad news.

The reaction was not what he expected.

Lucy Heartphilia, heiress to the Heartphilia Industries, was the love of his life. They met when they were both five years old, introduced to each other in one of the many functions that both of their families frequented in. Ul herself adored the blonde beauty, claiming that she would make a wonderful bride for her precious Gray. With that information, he was always confident that Lucy would be his someday.

However, based on the incident before him, it seemed that his mother was not being entirely honest about that compliment.

When Gray told Lucy, she didn't throw a fit or complain. She merely looked at him with sad eyes and accepted their relationship's tragic fate. He was defeated by that reaction. If she threw a fit or if she even remotely complained, he would have fought the will with every ounce of strength he had.

But she didn't.

And that zapped the fight out of Gray.

Another thing that stopped him from contesting the will was because he didn't want to put Lucy through a painful life if she chose to be with him. It was the truth that if he refused the agreement, everything would be taken away from him. His fortune would go to charity and the corporation would be up for grabs for any business predator who wanted it for themselves. After that, he would have nothing. Lucy's parents would never allow her to marry a nobody. He couldn't very well live with himself if he tries to bask in the reflected glory of Lucy's wealth, reputation, and business.

No. Gray was a man with pride. If he married Lucy, he wanted to have his own name and his own fortune. He wanted her to live a comfortable life with all the children that they could possibly have.

But that was not to be.

Three days after the reading of the will, he met _her._

His future wife.

She was a woman named Juvia Loxar.

That day he met her was burned forever in his memory – a stuff of his nightmares. The sky sobbed furiously that day, pouring down relentlessly and beating down the glass windows of Gray's building. She arrived with her own set of lawyers, wearing a dark blue fur coat with a matching Cossack hat. This made his eyes go wide in distaste, seeing the odd way that the girl was covered up as if it was winter. It was only raining for Christ's sake.

There seemed to be no redeeming feature for the woman. Her bulky clothing hid any form of figure she might have on her. The overall ensemble could have been fashionable if only it was worn in the right weather. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, evidence of a sheltered lifestyle. Her eyes were sharp and assessing, as if getting ready for a battle. Gray instantly hated that look. It made him think that she was an opportunistic fox who was in this for the money.

She wasn't even his type.

She was pretty in her own way, but she was definitely not his type.

She looked gloomy, bordering on depressing even. And when she spoke, Gray nearly fell over from his chair in shock. She addressed herself in third person, like a strange little girl with odd habits. But when she introduced who she was and told everyone about her background, Gray instantly knew why his parents set the two of them up.

Juvia Loxar was a member of the richest clan in Edolas, a neighboring nation. From what Gray knew of the family, the patriarch, Jose Porla, had a son and two daughters. The eldest was named Juan Fernandes and he had a son named Jellal, who was now married to another famous heiress of the country, Erza Scarlet. Jose's daughters were Juana and Josefa Fernandes, both already married to rich men, strengthening the empire that Jose established. Juvia was the oldest granddaughter of Jose, eldest child of Juana Fernandes-Loxar.

And because she was the eldest female, she was the one being pertained to by the will.

Less than a month after their meeting, they married.

On his insistence, they had a civil wedding with only witnesses present. His witness was his best friend Natsu while her witness was her cousin, Jellal.

Two months after their wedding, Juvia found out that she was pregnant.

Two weeks after the diagnosis, Gray found out that he was forced to marry Juvia Loxar because Jose Porla threatened to buy all of his parents' holdings when they were experiencing a difficult time. It was during the time just before Ultear and her father died. Ultear was supposed to marry Jellal when the time was right, but ironically, she was saved by death. After that, Ul could barely manage to keep everything afloat, depression consuming her. Jose swooped in like a vulture, watching intently if Ul would give in and die. He gave a hand, which Ul accepted gratefully. What she didn't know was there was a price to pay.

And now, Gray was paying the consequences.

Because of what he found out, his hate towards Juvia increased tenfold. Even with the birth of their son, James, his treatment towards Juvia worsened.

If he couldn't find a way out, he would at least try to make her as miserable as he was.

He would, in every possible way, kill the lady.

* * *

How do you best kill a lady?

There were two steps and so far, Gray has been an expert in doing these things.

The first step is easy.

Neglect.

A woman never likes it when she's left neglected.

They have a sense of hidden pride within themselves that make them want to be better in everything that they are and everything that they do. They want to be more beautiful, accomplished, intelligent. In every possible way, they want to be the center of attention. If they don't have that, then they are nothing.

It helps when a woman is in love. Why? Because she wanted the love of her life's attention solely focused on her. Or if not solely, then a majority of it.

Gray learned this. It seemed that Juvia developed feelings for him along the way. Stockholm Syndrome, as one might call it, but it was very real. She adored him. She never questioned him even for a second. This was what made everything more perfect for Gray. Revenge was sweeter with feelings involved.

And neglect would be harder to take when there were emotions at stake.

A year with Juvia was made easier with the fact that he didn't have to deal with her every single day. He kept himself busy. He made his own workload so hectic that he barely went home. He slept in a room he had installed next to his own office. If he wanted a homier feel, he would go to the condominium unit that he bought just a few blocks away. He would go home only to see his son and give him some fatherly love.

And speaking of son, the only moment he ever slept with Juvia was at their wedding night. The reason was just to create an heir so that he could fulfill the contract. After that, nothing. He carefully planned it so that she would be at her most fertile, making sure that the one time he would have sex with her would instantly lead to a pregnancy. And he thanked the gods who would listen that it worked.

He didn't know why, but it seemed that he bore little love for his own son. He reminded him too much of Juvia and he realized that she would have a lot of influence over the little boy since she would have to practically raise him alone given the father's neglect. Even barely past infancy, he was sure that James would have more of Juvia in him than Gray.

James inherited the same blue eyes that Juvia had. Everything else was Gray – his hair, his nose, the shape of his face. This visibly delighted Juvia when the boy was born. But the joy wasn't prolonged. Gray left the two alone in the hospital after excusing himself for a meeting. That was the biggest form of neglect that Juvia ever experienced from him.

After that, there were the cancellations.

Gray would not be there for the couple's weekly dates. When they were married, they went out every Saturday night for appearance's sakes. But as time went on, it became a monthly thing until it became _nothing. _

Gray watched as the light in Juvia's eyes faded day after day. The only time he has seen it sparkle was when she would hold James in her arms. It seemed that she still had a semblance of joy in her miserable married life.

Similarly, when you neglect, you ignore.

Ignorance for everything that concerns her, that is.

Ignore everything that she does for you. What does she do exactly? Have makeovers, for instance. Juvia was the queen of makeovers. She changes her appearance often just to try and catch Gray's attention. When she first met him, her hairstyle was conservative, curled outwards in an odd circle. When she fell in love with him, she cropped the aqua fringes until it barely reached her shoulders. When she was pregnant with James, she retained her old hairstyle. Up until now, she wore the same odd, conservative style that she had when they first met.

And that was great since he held no form of attraction towards her.

He even ignored the basic forms of ethics towards her. He didn't thank her if she cooked meals for him. He didn't even look at her if she did favors on his behalf. He ignored bits and pieces about her life – her birthday, moments when she was sick, moments when she needed something from him. She would just watch him with hurt eyes as he tried to take everything away from her.

Nothing satisfied him more.

The second step is cruelty.

What can a man do to kill a woman?

Kill her trust.

Kill her faith.

Kill her love.

That was when Gray decided to act on his feelings and needs. Gray won't fool anyone by saying that the only time he had sex last was when he and Juvia conceived. No. He had to satisfy his needs.

When he satisfied his needs, Juvia died bit by bit.

He was as unfaithful as they come.

Before he became 21, no one told him that his parents would die. No one told him that he would have an elder sister that he would never get to know. No one told him that his older half-brother would leave his family behind in search of a father who never wanted anything to do with him. No one told him that he was going to be the sole heir and that to be the heir, he would be subject to very restricting conditions. No one told him that he had to marry before the age of 21 and that he had to have his own heir within a specific set of time. No one told him that Juvia would fall in love with him.

But when he married Juvia, no one told him how he should treat her. No one said that he had to fall in love with her in return. No one said that he should act like a husband after signing up to be one on paper.

No one said that he should be faithful to his wife.

And he cheated on her. Again and again.

The cheating didn't stop with just one woman. In fact, it intensified when he found out that Lucy, his beloved, married Natsu Dragneel, his own best friend. Natsu was the son of Igneel Dragneel, the top competitor of Heartphilia Industries. Lucy's father must have thought that it was best to merge the rival companies so that in the future, they would create the most successful oil business that ever existed. And the old coot may be right.

It also didn't help Gray that the two seemed to have fallen in love with each other in spite of the arrangement. It irked him to no end that many people just accept the fact that they have to spend the rest of their lives with someone to the point that they just fall in love because they have no choice. Natsu and Lucy now have a daughter named Layla, named after Lucy's mother. It was gut-wrenching and he took out all of his anger on Juvia.

Someone up there must be really mad at him. Why would anyone punish him this way? Why?

Gray's sordid love affairs were a favorite subject of paparazzi and gossip columns. He was televised as frequently as famous celebrities and politicians. Juvia was often publicly humiliated by these broadcasted trysts. What made the publicity more harrowing and more popular was the fact that Gray's female partners were as famous as he was.

This was because no one could deny that Gray was a very handsome fellow with the riches and reputation to back him up.

Gray was once involved with an actress named Jenny Realight, ended only when Jenny decided to go on a straight path and started formally dating a fellow _single _actor named Hibiki Lates. He was also in a brief relationship with socialite Sherry Blendy, Lyon's ex-girlfriend. The woman was now engaged to Ren Akatsuki, a singer. He also spent an amazing weekend with a telecommunication magnate's daughter, Minerva. Then there was that week spent in Crocus with Ariana Webb.

And along with those famous affairs, he had various _sleeping arrangements _with cheaper, more common women. There was that waitress whose name he couldn't remember. Then there was that former secretary that he had after Kinana left, a woman named Dalia. That was the first workplace indiscretion that he committed. It was after that particular incident that he hired a male secretary, a dedicated young man named Max.

One could say that he would sleep with anyone who struck his fancy.

Gray was currently looking outside the window of his office at the top floor of his building. His company, Ul's legacy, has now been successfully merged with Juvia's inherited businesses and fortunes. He was now richer than any man in Fiore. He hadn't stepped foot in his home for nearly a month now.

And a few days earlier, he just saw Lucy and Natsu from the television, announcing the birth of another kid. It was another daughter they named Leanne. Gray practically threw the remote at the expensive appliance.

He loosened his tie and got up. It was time to go home.

* * *

Juvia smiled to herself and opened the present that Levy sent to her.

It was a ravishing black dress which must have cost a fortune. Along with the gift was an invitation to an Ebony and Ivory party hosted by her friend. Levy and Gajeel were celebrating their third anniversary and Juvia couldn't be happier for her two friends.

_It's time for you to get out and have some fun! Come to the party, okay? – Levy_

_Don't invite the stripper. – Gajeel._

Juvia almost laughed at Gajeel's note. The man named Gray 'stripper' as a form of insult. It was because Gray had these multiple and very public affairs that make him no short of a whore in Gajeel's opinion. Juvia just turned the other cheek and ignored whatever it was that was going on in Gray's life. That was one of the many coping mechanisms that she learned over the years.

She was just happy that Gajeel, her long time best friend, was with her and was supporting her even in that odd way of his.

Juvia had come to terms with the fact that life must hate her.

This way of thinking made it a bit easier for her.

At birth, Juvia was the apple of her parents' eyes. She was given everything that she needed and she grew up happy and content. However, her grandfather had other ambitions for her. Even though Juvia was an accomplished businesswoman on her own, the old man was not satisfied. All his attentions were on Jellal at first, but when her cousin married the suitable woman as arranged, her grandfather turned all his attentions to her. As the eldest granddaughter of Jose Porla, she was another pawn in his business stratagems. Before she knew it, she was arranged to marry the oldest son of Ul Milkovich. At one point in time, it was a young man named Lyon Vastia. But when he got disowned, she was 'turned over' to Gray Fullbuster.

That was when she took matters to her own hands and found out more about the man she was going to marry.

She sent numerous people to spy on Gray, occasionally even taking a peek herself in disguise. She found out that he was very much accomplished. He was the CFO of his parents' companies and was doing a marvelous job at it. He had various charitable organizations and was very active in the society. He was loved by his employees and his colleagues. He had friends who could only give him compliments. And it didn't hurt that he was very handsome.

No one knew about this, but Juvia developed a little crush on Gray Fullbuster.

And those feelings developed into love one day, when she decided to take things a little further and disguise herself as one of his employees.

She paid Gray's secretary named Kinana to take the day off. She then got a team of the best makeup artists to make her look like the young lady. It was a success. When Juvia got to her workplace, no one noticed a thing.

And because Juvia knew absolutely nothing about the work scheme, she was flummoxed and she failed at everything that was assigned to her. But Gray paid her no mind and instead, said these words that made her fall for him.

"_I never punish my nakama. They're precious to me. Just do better next time, okay?"_

And she naively thought that maybe, he would come to see her as a friend when they were introduced. What she idealized was that he had to make the most out of the daunting situation they were placed in.

But it seemed that being placed as his fiancée wasn't all rainbows and butterflies. Gray despised her. She knew it from the moment he laid eyes on her. And here she thought that she was making a good first impression by not seeming like a besotted, love struck schoolgirl. She rarely spoke, was refined, and was damned well the perfect lady that any man of his stature would want.

It wasn't long before she found out that before meeting her and becoming engaged to her, Gray was in a relationship with another woman. Apparently, he loved her dearly but had to break up with her because of Juvia. And it wasn't just any woman, it was Lucy Heartphilia. And after some time after their marriage, the woman married Gray's best friend, Natsu Dragneel, effectively breaking all forms of sanity or restraint in her husband.

It was all very tragic and Juvia couldn't help but blame herself for what happened. But how would she know? She didn't ask for the contract to be drawn up. She didn't ask to be anyone's wife. In fact, she took the high road and tried to be optimistic through all of this. She chose to see the better side of Gray and actually fell in love with him.

But she knew that he was out to get her the moment they said 'I do'. His eyes were no longer warm as she had witnessed before. Something died within him the moment they got married. He neglected her in every single way. It was as if she never even existed. On their wedding night, he took no consideration of the fact that she was still a virgin and plowed on, regardless of the obvious pain that she was going through. When she got pregnant, he was only glad that he had fulfilled the part of the obligation that required them to produce an heir within a few years. Even with their son born, he would rarely come home. He would just send over gifts and fill up bank accounts as if money was the only thing he had to give.

All in all, and she didn't need to repeat this time and again, her marriage wasn't good.

Hell, it couldn't even be considered as a marriage at all.

She learned to cope. She learned to be the bigger person. She learned to live and move on. She learned to love and appreciate all the little things in life. Not all things Gray gave to her were bad. He also gave her the greatest gift he could ever have offered. It was gift no one could buy. It was her son, James Fullbuster, one year and four months old.

"Juvia-sama."

At the moment that she tried the gift that Levy gave her, her wonderful friend and helper Laki peeked inside her room, purple hair in a mess and all. If Gray were here, he would never let Laki get away with her look. But then again, Gray had a soft spot for everyone except Juvia so she would probably get away with her unprofessional behavior.

"You look pretty!" the maid gasped. She knew that Juvia rarely had her moments of looking after herself, but she appreciated that her mistress was actually making an effort of doing something to put herself out of misery. She stopped trying months into her marriage when she realized that her own husband didn't notice the work she did to make herself more noticeable to his eyes.

Juvia didn't deserve this. Laki could almost picture herself beating the living daylights out of Gray for being so cruel to this wonderful young woman. At first, the maid tried to sympathize, thinking that Juvia must be a spoiled brat for Gray to treat her that way. But when the woman spoke to Laki, they got along famously, as if they knew each other for years.

"Juvia is sorry, Laki," the blue-haired lady said. "But can you look after James tonight? Juvia thinks she will come home late."

"Sure!" Laki replied enthusiastically. "Take your sweet time and don't worry about a thing. You go have fun. God knows you deserve it."

The last statement made Juvia's smile falter a bit. "Does Juvia look that desperate?"

Laki shook her head. "Nonsense. People would be the ones desperate for your presence with _that _outfit," she said with a wink._ "_Just go. Please, Juvia-sama."

Juvia relented, finally realizing that her friend had a point. After a few hours of getting ready, she walked out feeling beautiful and sexy – something which she had never felt for more than a year now. She also decided to drive herself to her destination, ignoring the shocked Warren, whom Gray appointed as her chauffeur and personal head bodyguard.

She went inside her sleek blue Ferrari and turned the ignition on. _Juvia does adore this voice activation innovation. _

And with that, she drove to Levy and Gajeel's party.

* * *

"Hey Juvia!"

Juvia was grinning from ear to ear as Levy engulfed her in a warm hug. Gajeel smirked from behind his wife, patting Juvia's head as if she were a little kid. No one could get away from that action except for him. He just earned a pout from his best friend.

"I'm happy that you didn't bring the stripper here. Or else I would've killed him," Gajeel frankly declared, taking a glass of champagne from a waiter who passed by.

They all know what Gajeel was talking about. They knew that Gray currently had a new woman by his side. It was someone famous once again but Juvia didn't bother to delve into it. She had effectively cut off her ties to showbiz channels and the like. She preferred to watch movies on her spare time rather than immersing herself in gossip.

Juvia just rolled her eyes at him and said, "Happy anniversary, you two. Juvia is really happy for you."

"Thanks!" Levy exclaimed. "Now, _you _drink as much as you want and have fun! No one's going to stop you."

"Get wasted once in a while," Gajeel added.

"Yep, coz you're gonna need that once Gajeel here starts singing."

That last statement was contributed by none other than Natsu Dragneel himself. Juvia was a bit surprised that the salmon-haired man had come to the party. But she shouldn't be that shocked since she knew that Natsu was Levy's friend even before the petite woman became friends with Juvia herself. So that must mean that –

"Hi Juvia."

Juvia turned her head and saw Lucy come up from behind Natsu, linking her arms with his. She smiled tentatively up at her, as if trying to extend an olive branch. Juvia was unsure how to react to this and instead replied with a soft 'hi', hesitant to say or do anything else.

Natsu watched the exchange and greeted Juvia, "Hey Juvia."

"Hello, Natsu-san," Juvia responded, her approach lighter towards Natsu than towards Lucy. She knew that her anger was irrational. After all, Lucy made no unnecessary moves towards Gray after their break-up. In fact, the blonde was happily married to Natsu. However, Juvia could not remove that feeling inside her that constantly reminded her of the fact that the reason why her husband could not love her was because of Lucy Heartphilia, happily married or not.

"Come on, no need to be so formal!" Natsu said happily. Juvia knew that Natsu didn't drink because he had an unfortunate tendency to become easily nauseated. "How's that bastard, Gray? Still moping, I guess?"

Juvia knew this fact all too well. After Natsu married Lucy, Gray made no attempts to contact Natsu ever again, let alone be in the same room as him. This was particularly difficult since they practically live within the same social circle and have tons of common friends. However, Gray seemed to have managed alright, locking himself up in his own little bubble known as 'work'. And Natsu played with that sad fact by making jokes about how bitter Gray was. He also constantly pointed out how Lucy made a better choice in marrying a _man _rather than a tantrum-throwing boy.

"Natsu," Lucy reprimanded him. "I'm sorry for all of this, Juvia."

Juvia watched Lucy with critical eyes. There was no doubt that there was sincerity in the other woman's voice. There was also a deeper meaning to that apology. Lucy and Juvia never came in contact in public events so this was the first time that the blonde managed to say anything to her. Juvia couldn't really fault her so in return, Juvia gave her a small smile. "Juvia manages. There is no need to worry about Gray-sama."

"Really?" Gajeel popped in disbelievingly. "I'd rather you murder that man-whore yourself. Suffocate him in his sleep or something. Or you could dangle his balls in front of all of his mistresses. So they can finally realize how nonexistent they are."

Levy frowned at Gajeel's statement while Natsu guffawed. Lucy was feeling a bit uncomfortable, knowing that a part of Juvia's misery was due entirely to her. At the same time, Cana Alberona, heiress to the famous Gildarts Clive, approached them in raucous laughter, apparently caused by one of the famous drinking binges she's been in.

"This is a rocking party, Levy!" Cana exclaimed, effectively cutting off their line of conversation. Her gaze roved around all of them until they finally settled on Juvia. Her eyes then went as wide as saucers. "JUVIA! You're here!"

Juvia blushed at that. She knew that she rarely went to functions during and after her pregnancy because she devoted her entire life to James. This was the first time that she was out and about during her marriage. Almost stumbling over, she was unwillingly fed a shot of brandy, courtesy of Cana. Even with her wildness, Juvia missed her drinking buddy. Cana was an infamous party girl and Juvia got acquainted with her when she went partying with her friends.

"Now, _you _definitely need to get drunk!" Cana yelled at her above the noise that the DJ started to make. Completely ignoring the two couples who were watching the two women with amusement, Cana led Juvia to the dance floor. "Look around you! A lot of guys want some of your ass!"

That brash comment made Juvia redden once again but she couldn't help but look around. It was true, there were guys looking at her with undisguised hunger in their eyes. It seemed that the dress Levy bought for her had that desired effect on males.

"Well that was fast," Levy commented as she watched Cana force more drinks down Juvia's throat. The club theme of the entire event was suggested by Gajeel himself, wanting to have a good time and secretly wanting to actually have a platform for one of his performances. When she invited Juvia, she wanted her friend to loosen up a bit and forget that her married life was shitty. But she didn't expect things to progress so quickly. Then again, Cana was here.

"And it looks like she's getting some attention," Lucy observed, nodding at some of Gajeel's friends who were looking at Juvia in appreciation. It seemed that nobody recognized the blue-haired beauty. But this was to be predicted since Juvia had secluded herself from society ever since she married Gray. She also had a very different hairstyle since they last saw her.

"She doesn't look like a married woman, after all," Gajeel said with a smirk. "Look at that body."

"Yep," Natsu agreed, surprised that Levy and Lucy didn't react badly to their compliments on Juvia. "If Gray isn't careful, she might get snatched from under his nose."

"But there's no possibility of divorce in their marriage, right?" Levy asked.

"It doesn't mean that Juvia can't play around like Stripper boy," Gajeel retorted, smirking widely.

"Juvia isn't like that, though," Lucy said.

"How would you know?" Gajeel reacted venomously, shooting Lucy one of his infamous looks.

"Don't start on my wife, Redfox," Natsu said threateningly. "It's not her fault that Gray is hung up on her. It's not like she's encouraging him or anything."

"Natsu has a point," Levy intervened, staring pointedly at her irate husband who visibly deflated in front of his wife's scrutiny.

At that, Natsu took out his IPhone and made a motion similar to holding a whip and brandished it, the device producing a whip-like sound. **(A/N: To those of you who watch The Big Bang Theory, you'll get what I mean.)** Gajeel frowned at that and made a motion to land a punch on Natsu before he was stopped once more by Levy's glare. And again with that, Natsu pulled off his Whipped App once more.

Juvia wasn't sure how many minutes or hours have passed by but she was surely drunk. The world was spinning pleasurably all around her, the sights, smells, and sounds bringing her to a hype that she never felt before. It was really a long time since she had this much fun. She wasn't even being self-conscious as she danced erotically along the sounds played by the DJ, grinding bodies with a wickedly grinning Cana.

Two women dancing together was an awfully entertaining sight for the bachelors that watched. Sting Eucliffe was watching Juvia with a smirk on his face. He gulped down a shot of tequila as he spoke to his companions.

"Who do you think that lady is? First time I've seen her," Sting said.

The raven-haired young man seated beside him shrugged. "I've never seen her before either."

At that, another young man with spiky silver hair looked at the dance floor. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he smiled like a schoolboy. "I know who that woman is."

"How'd you know?" Sting demanded.

"Well, you should ask my dear little brother."

The response made Rogue frown. "What do you mean? He's not here."

"And why should we ask that arrogant little bastard?" Sting spat. "I hate that man's guts. Acting like he owns the world."

"Well, he owns this particular lady."

And with that, the smiling man stood up, walking towards the dance floor and ignoring Sting's yells of protest.

Juvia was laughing merrily, her back against Cana's torso. She knew that she was an excellent dancer, having enrolled in various lessons before. She was sure that she didn't look like a fool and the copious amounts of alcohol that she consumed removed all of her inhibitions and insecurities. After a couple more minutes, she realized that it was no longer a soft, sweat-slicked female body pressed against her back. It was something hard and contoured. She turned her head and looked up, seeing a shock of silver hair, pointing up in every direction. Eyes that were very familiar looked down on her with a lustful yet amused expression. The man could dance amazingly, matching Juvia's swaying hips and their bodies molding together in a passion-filled frenzy, grooving to the beat.

"Juvia Loxar," the man whispered to her ear. Juvia involuntarily shuddered at that, smelling his sweet breath. "You're looking ravishing tonight."

"Who are you?" Juvia asked, feeling her body being pinned closer to his by strong arms.

"Lyon Vastia," the man replied.

_Lyon Vastia… there was something familiar about that name._

It seemed that no one else dared to steal Juvia away from this man. They had been dance partners for the rest of the night, finally stopping when Juvia could barely stand in exhaustion and in her state of inebriation.

"Care to come with me?" Lyon asked.

"Sure," Juvia said with a slur.

The two went outside of the club, cold hair hitting Juvia's barely clothed body. She shivered and it seemed that Lyon noticed. Without a second thought, he hung his jacket around her shoulders.

"Where're we going?"

Lyon smirked. "What's a married woman like you doing acting like this?"

Juvia scoffed and walked gingerly towards her car. She leaned unceremoniously against it. "How'd you know Juvia's married?"

"I have my sources."

"Well," Juvia replied to that, smiling a bit too brightly, "Juvia's husband doesn't care where she is. She could die for all he knows. He won't give a rat's ass."

"You speak too harshly of Gray," Lyon said, smiling mysteriously back at her.

In her drunken state, Juvia couldn't express her shock in a right way. "How'd you - ?"

"Well, let's say I've been acquainted with him. And I must say, I don't like the way he's treating you."

"And why would you be concerned with that?"

In a voice that Juvia was unable to hear, Lyon spoke, "Because _I _was the one who's supposed to be married to you."

* * *

To say that Gray Fullbuster was angry was an understatement.

He was seething. Furious.

Scratch that. _Murderous _was the proper term.

For the first time in a while, he deigned to come home. Of course, after a romp with his latest and longest lasting conquest, Angel. The woman was the famous singer of that band named Oracion Seis and was a very experienced, wonderful lay. Not to mention that she didn't get all clingy and emotional after their sessions. The woman sure knew how to satisfy her needs and play to _his _needs.

Going back to topic, when he arrived, he found out that his _wife _wasn't home.

When he arrived, all he saw was his maid, Laki, in James' room, apparently successful in putting the baby to sleep. He couldn't wheedle a response from the irate young woman, since she felt that her master was undeserving of the answer. Sometimes he wondered who was paying who in this situation and cursed himself inwardly for being so soft on his employees. It was Warren who informed him that Juvia went out to a party hosted by the Redfox couple.

Gray knew that he couldn't go to the celebration without causing a scene. Gajeel Redfox loathed him. Levy was his friend but it seemed that after his indiscretions towards Juvia, the sensible and smart woman sided with a stranger whom she just met over her long-time friend, Gray. And he was sure that Natsu and Lucy would be there, given the fact that they were Levy's friends. So that would mean that Juvia must have met Lucy in the flesh for the first time. He knew he was being a complete coward but hell, self-preservation comes first when it comes to these situations.

After dismissing Laki to her quarters, he watched the sleeping form of his son. How long has it been since he laid eyes on James? The boy had inherited his hair and his face. Everything about him screamed Gray with the exception of his eyes. At this moment, Gray couldn't see his eyes and he was grateful for that. He didn't want another reminder of his wife.

He tentatively touched the soft ebony strands of hair on James' head when a sound of an engine revving up the driveway put Gray on alert. He immediately went out of James' room and proceeded to the living room. He was surprised that he could still find his way around the house even with the lights put out.

He watched as the lights of the car approached. He peeked through the window and made out Juvia's car in the dark as it came to a stop. He watched with narrowed eyes as a man with silver hair went out from the driver's seat and opened the door to the passenger's side. Out came Juvia, though he could barely make out her appearance through the darkness.

"Are you sure you can make it to your door?" the man said, his amused voice irking Gray beyond belief.

"Sure," Juvia responded, laughing slightly.

Gray abruptly closed the curtains, nearly pulling them down in the process. He seated himself on the couch, wanting very much to beat the living daylights out of the man who dared to touch his belongings. And he even made Juvia laugh. Why was she laughing?! The man wasn't even funny!

"Take care of yourself, Juvia Loxar."

Gray nearly smashed a decorative vase against the marble walls. The fucking bastard had the nerve! He tried to breathe to calm himself down, wondering why the hell was he even angry in the first place. It wasn't like he was jealous or anything.

After hearing a fumbling of keys and slight cursing, the door to the house opened.

The hallway immediately filled with light. Gray turned around and observed a very drunk Juvia walk in.

Gray's eyes widened as he looked Juvia from head to toe.

To say that Juvia was sexy was totally inappropriate. There was something about her tonight that turned Gray Fullbuster on unlike anything he ever experienced in his entire life. Juvia looked seductively elegant. He had never seen her wear anything so revealing yet so teasing at the same time. She was always in very confining clothing. Her hair had a brand new style to it, falling down in waves a few inches above her waist. They were arranged artfully around her face and framed perfectly with side swept bangs that highlighted her stunning blue eyes. And speaking of her ocean blue orbs, they were brought out by the smoky dark eye shadow and liner. Although her eyes were dazed in her intoxicated state, it in fact added to the sultriness about her.

The paleness of her skin wasn't an issue this time. In fact, she seemed to glow in contrast to that little black dress that hugged her body like a second skin. It was a tube top, clinging to her bountiful breasts and showing them off to the world. Her slender neck was adorned by a diamond necklace that he didn't remember giving to her, the gem settling all too well on the curve of her cleavage. She even wore matching dangling earrings.

His gaze trailed down, seeing that the dress barely covered her _lady _things and were miles above her knees. He knew that a slight slip-up would have caused a nosebleed for any man who saw. Her legs went on for miles – fine, delicately muscled, and well-structured. Her feet were covered with deadly five-inch stilettos that made her bum jut out in its full glory. She moved naturally even though she was drunk beyond words. It reminded him that this lady was raised in high society. Gray bit his lip unconsciously, angered that another man must have rubbed up against that glorious body. It was obvious that she went dancing – a fine sheen of sweat covered her body and her face was flushed, the kind of blush that couldn't be faked with makeup but was caused by exertion.

He approached her, sure that his body was tense with arousal at the mere sight of his wife. It didn't help that she was breathing heavily, making little noises that addled his brain. He didn't know what the fuck happened to him to make him react this way to Juvia. Even from a few feet away, he could smell her lovely perfume mixed with her sweet, natural smell. He realized that it was all new to him. She hadn't smelled that way before. She hadn't smelled so delicious before.

_Delicious?!_

"Juvia."

At the sound of her name, Juvia's head turned. Usually when Gray arrived, Juvia would pale at the sight of him. She learned to fear him after he lashed out at her the first time he went home and she threw a fanatical, lovey-dovey outburst. But this time, after recovering from her surprise at finding him in their house, she just laid bored eyes at him as if he were an uninteresting piece of furniture.

He stared at her incredulously at the way she looked at him. He then sucked in a startled breath as she licked her glossed lips and bent her head sideways, regarding him with fascination.

"You're home, Gray-sama."

The voice was low and sultry, very much unlike the high-pitched tones he never grew accustomed to.

"This is my house," Gray said wryly, trying to gather himself.

"Is it?" Juvia asked, removing her shoes. As she bent down and raised her leg, Gray had a mouth-watering view of her chest and her legs.

Gray moved closer towards her and without warning, pinned her against the wall of the hallway. "Who was that man with you? You event lent him your car."

"None of your concern," Juvia retorted, looking him square in the eyes and willing herself not to wince at the iron grip he had on her wrists. "You haven't cared about Juvia from the very beginning. Why start now?"

Gray gritted his teeth at this sudden courageous outburst from his wife. She never raised her voice against him. She never complained. But now, after more than a year, she was suddenly feisty.

"See you've grown some balls, huh?" Gray said nastily, his face only inches away from hers.

Juvia laughed, startling Gray. "Balls are soft and they hurt easily. Maybe what people should try to say is that _you _should grow a vagina. Now _that _could take a pounding."

Gray was floored. This vulgar Juvia was not Juvia at all. It seemed that alcohol brought out that dark side of her. "So you're saying that you're out all night, partying and drinking, instead of taking care of James?! You're saying that your _fucking pussy _took a pounding instead of looking after our son?!"

At that, Gray was pushed unceremoniously away from Juvia's furious self. He was mildly surprised at her strength and the way she glared at him with such hatred. "How _dare _you accuse Juvia when you're the one who hasn't even looked at your _own son _for more than a year now?! Juvia's been nothing but a good parent for her child, you cheating bastard!"

Gray finally saw Juvia break in front of his eyes. Tears were streaming down her face, and her lips were quivering with resentment and sadness. "You have no right to call James your son!" she continued to scream. "And you have no right to stop Juvia from living her life while you live yours without any care in the world if you're hurting anyone!"

He watched as Juvia slid down against the wall and sat on the floor, defeated. She was looking at him, the fight drained out of her body. "Don't punish us just because you can't get what you want. Juvia has done nothing to you and she has suffered the same fate as you. But why do you make her life harder than it has to be?"

Then in a voice barely above a whisper. "Why? Juvia's only crime is that she loves you, Gray-sama. Why do you hurt her?"

And with that, Juvia's eyes closed.

At that moment, Gray believed that he successfully killed the lady.

* * *

**Yes guys, this is going to be a very angsty fic.**

**And you'd be very annoyed with Gray. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Posting two chapters in one go, I guess.**

**Bloody Banquet will be updated tomorrow. I didn't have internet connection over the weekend, hence the very late updates. And I satisfied my plot bunnies.**

Chapter 2

_To Lose the Lady_

"So can I come over?"

Angel's sweet voice crackled over the mobile. Gray had a small smile playing on his face. This woman was very persistent when she wanted things her way. Most of the time, he would indulge her. He was thinking hard about granting her request right now.

"Come on. It's not like she can do anything about it."

Angel was insisting that she come over his house. It seemed that there was something about their relationship that escalated to more than just a physical encounter. A week since Juvia's theatrics, Gray decided that he really did not need to go home unless it was absolutely necessary. He didn't want to be at the receiving end of accusations and anger. Most of all, deep in his subconscious, he knew that he didn't want to be subject to any form of attraction towards his wife.

But she had a point. Now that they finally agreed to start dating after more than a month of fooling around, it was time to actually make things official. If you were in the olden centuries, this would be called declaring the king's official mistress. It seemed that Gray has gotten a very primitive view of things and if I were Juvia, I would follow Gajeel's advice and actually cut off his balls.

And that conversation happened a few hours ago. Now, Gray was on his way back to the 'horror house' with Angel in tow.

Why would he even deign to do this? Well, Angel made him happy. She made him forget that his life was crappy. She knew how to fulfill his needs and she knew what she wanted from him in return. And right now, he was more than happy to oblige.

Not to mention that the woman was now licking his earlobes as he drove along the highway.

Gray chuckled. "If you really want to die, keep on doing that."

"I'm already an angel, remember?" she whispered into his ear, the air tickling him.

He gave her a sideways glance. In that small moment, he suddenly saw a shock of blue hair, sultry eyes, and glossed lips. At that second, he nearly crashed into a nearby car.

Angel's deafening screech awakened his reflexes and he moved his car just in time.

"Ooookay," Angel gasped. "I think I have to stop."

Gray coughed. "I think you do."

As they neared the mansion, Gray checked his watch. It was one o'clock in the afternoon. They haven't had lunch yet and he was sure that Juvia wasn't in the house. After James' first year, she went back to doing her passion. After their marriage, the businesses that she owned were now assimilated to one of Gray's numerous companies and he pushed her off her position so that he could be the one to take the reigns. However, this did not stop her from doing what she loved. Ignoring the insistence from him that she should just be another trophy wife, she urged her cousin to make her the CEO of their Fiore branch.

Since Jose Porla died, Jellal became the head of his empire. The man, who knew what atrocities Gray was doing towards his beloved relative blessed the woman with a distraction, letting Juvia take care of one of the branches of their empire – the realty business. So far, from what he's heard, his wife has done a marvelous job.

Juvia kept herself busy while Gray was doing things elsewhere. He was glad about that since it kept their fortunes through the sky. But unlike him, Juvia went home everyday despite the hour-long drive to her office. She would take care of James and be the doting mother.

He stopped his car just at the driveway. Helping Angel out of the vehicle, he ignored the pointed looks that Warren gave him who was currently washing the limousine.

"Oh Angel, this is my chauffeur, Warren," Gray said, gesturing towards the man.

Angel flashed the man with a megawatt smile. Warren couldn't help but sigh inwardly. The woman was wearing a silver sequined dress with a white fur coat draped over her slender body. She had a slight tan to her and it contrasted with her silver-blue hair that was cropped short and held back by a thin black headband. She wore feathered earrings and too much jewelry across her neck and around her wrists. Her heels looked dangerous to look at, much less walk in.

Warren wondered why Gray would even consider this woman over Juvia. His mistress had intelligence, taste, and modesty. Given, the past weekend was the only day where she went a little wild, but that was it. Gray really had a death wish. This was the first time that he ever brought his flings in his house. _His house with Juvia and their son. _Would he even consider James treating this trashy-looking woman as another mother figure? Would Juvia even allow him to humiliate her this way?

The chauffeur was thankful that James wasn't aware of the chaos that was going on in his parents' lives. He just hoped that this won't continue until James grew up or else it would be a real pity. He hoped that Gray would see sense someday. He had a beautiful life with an amazing wife and son waiting for him everyday.

Gray opened the door and took Angel's coat from her. He hung it up and took her hand.

"This is a beautiful house."

The admiration in Angel's voice was unmistakable. And so was the greedy look in her eyes. She examined the tasteful furniture and the colors. The decorations were priceless and they were indeed wonderful.

"Juvia did the decorating," a voice said from the top of the grand staircase.

Gray was stilled as he watched his wife walking down towards them, clad in a cream blazer and pencil skirt. She had a dark blue blouse under her blazer. Cream pumps finished off her outfit as they made no sound against the carpeted stair. Her long wavy hair was tied in a loose ponytail, the blue tresses flowing over her right shoulder. The makeup on her face was light and it made her pale skin glow once again. She should indeed be wearing this type of makeup more often. It accentuated her features in an ethereal way.

"_Juvia _did the decorating?" Angel's mocking voice sounded from beside Gray. He was a bit surprised that the singer was steadily walking towards his wife, as if meeting her halfway in challenge. "What an odd way of speaking."

"If we are speaking about odd things, Juvia must ask you what you are doing in her house?"

There was a ring of authority and anger in her tone and Gray could only stare at the brewing showdown between the two women.

"This is your house? I was under the impression that Gray owns this place. He paid for it, did he not?" Angel asked.

"Not everything," Juvia said, glaring at Gray.

"Anyway, I'm not here to steal your house," Angel declared. "I know for a fact that whatever Gray does, you two can't get divorced, which is a pity. I'm here to meet Gray's lovely baby boy."

With that statement, Gray could see the sudden narrowing in Juvia's ocean blue eyes. There was a deadly gleam in them too, something which he has never seen before.

"Get out," she bit out.

"What?" Angel asked, astonished. "What gives you the right?"

"My name is Juvia Loxar-_Fullbuster. _That gives Juvia the right. Juvia is Gray's _wife."_

"Only on paper you are." A stinging remark followed by an uncharacteristic cackle that startled Gray.

"And you think you can be Gray's wife?"

"I can be your little James' mommy too. Pity your little contract can't let you divorce. How does it feel to have a man solely because of a threat and a paper?"

"_Get out._"

With that statement, Juvia approached one of the antique drawers decorating the hallway where Angel and Gray stood. She opened one and took out a revolver.

"How _dare _you," Juvia said to the both of them, her voice a deadly quiet as she aimed the deadly gun at the two of them. "Juvia will _kill _your mistress in front of you if you don't push her out of this house right now!"

"You're crazy!" Angel screamed at Juvia.

"Is Juvia crazy? You're the one who's crazy, thinking that you will ever be introduced to _my _son!" Juvia bellowed. "GET OUT!"

With one terrified look at Gray, Angel scrambled outside. He was about to chase after her when Juvia held him back with one powerful grip to his shoulder.

"Warren will know what to do with her," she said, her voice back to the deadly hushed tones it took a few seconds ago. He noticed that her eyes no longer held any anger. Instead, they were blank.

"What the _fuck _are you playing at?!" Gray growled.

"Juvia could ask you the same question."

"Why do you have a fucking gun?! And who gave you the right to go threatening people with it?"

"If people start trying to humiliate me and when they start going near my son, Juvia will kill if she has to. Juvia is no longer your slave, Gray."

It was obvious by the way she already removed his honorific whenever she addressed him that she was indeed out of Gray's spell now. "Juvia wants a divorce," Juvia said. "What you did right now… with that woman…"

She couldn't even form the words. All the emotions bottled up inside of her were now spilling over, exploding to the point of no return. Who the hell brings their mistress to their house to meet their son?! What kind of twisted punishment is he trying to bring upon her? She didn't do anything to deserve any of this.

"A divorce?" Gray repeated incredulously. "You know we can't do that. If we get a divorce, all of my properties will be taken away from me."

"_Your _properties, Gray, not Juvia's."

Gray blanched. She had a point. She was never under a will or a contract like his. All that he knew that she was obliged to marry him. She didn't know under what circumstance. And it would seem that she had consulted someone before facing him with this.

"You won't," he spluttered pathetically. "You can't."

"Juvia has had enough, Gray," she replied. "She is leaving with James. You are not to see Juvia's son. Juvia has made sure that you do not step into her and her son's lives ever again. Do you understand?"

The woman was staring at him with finality in her eyes.

"I'm not sure what's going on with you, Juvia," Gray started to say, "but you can't do this. You'd be finishing my family's legacy. It's something that I've worked hard on since the very beginning of time. It's before I even knew you, for fuck's sake! A lot of my men and women will be unemployed!"

"You should have thought about that before you punished Juvia," Juvia stated. "You see, Juvia has always wanted to prove herself to you. She always wanted you to notice her, for you to just love her. But you wouldn't give her a chance. She wasn't good enough for you and you would often humiliate her publicly. Juvia's family is disgraced by the way you treat her and they don't want anything to do with you anymore. They are willing to lose all the properties that are already named after you just so that you will let Juvia and James go."

"What?!" He was astonished. So she had consulted her family. Jellal was a highly intelligent man, far more skilled than Gray himself. He was also far more powerful. It didn't matter to the man if he lost some of his holdings in Fiore that Gray already assimilated to his company. He could just very well replace them and if Juvia's business acumen was what Gray heard, then she was very capable of rebuilding her efforts from the ground up.

It now seemed that he had pushed Juvia to doing the unthinkable. She was finding a way out in which she would lose a little while he would lose everything.

"No…" was all he said, as he clutched the sides of his head. He was on the verge of making another successful breakthrough in his beloved business. But to have that taken away from you in one go.

Juvia felt a twinge of pity for the man. When she looked at him, she could not deny that she still held feelings for him. She knew that she was a sad masochist for feeling that way. But she really wanted a way out of this. Even though she knew that it would be painful for James, but he would learn to understand one day. After all, he didn't even understand what was going on right now. He was tucked in his bed, blithely unaware of the fact that he might grow up without a father figure in his life.

The two of them found themselves in the dining room an hour later, being served a very late lunch by a very flummoxed looking Laki. It was obvious that the maid had heard what happened and was gathering herself. She actually thought that the mistress was going to kill someone that time. She was just standing by in the shadows with her phone in hand, thinking about who she would contact if all things go to hell.

Juvia delicately sliced the arugula and chewed her food carefully. She watched Gray from behind her thick eyelashes. He was playing with his meal, apparently losing his appetite fast. She knew that he was the type of man who hated being out of control. He hated being commanded to do anything. But she couldn't help it. She wasn't doing this out of vengeance. She needed to preserve what little dignity she had left and start rebuilding herself. He beat her down enough.

"What happened to you?" Juvia suddenly asked.

"What are you talking about?" Gray threw back, fire in his eyes.

"Juvia knows you before she married you, do you know that?"

Gray just stared at her with a confused expression. She chuckled slightly, but her laugh was dry and humorless. "She once disguised herself as your secretary, Kinana. That was the day Juvia fell in love with Gray."

His eyes widened. There was a vague memory – a day when Kinana seemed to fail at every task that he appointed her. He had a sharp memory, especially of days that were either very bad or very good to him. That day was the moment he found out that he was engaged to a woman he never even knew. He wanted to burn down everything that he owned, feeling that all of his efforts were wasted if they were all going to be taken away just because he didn't follow a certain contract.

But even with his issues, he couldn't bring himself to be cruel to anyone. That was the real Gray. That was the real him. Even with Kinana messing up his schedule and him missing out on important tasks that day, he didn't blow up at her.

In fact the exact words he said to her were, _"I never punish my nakama. They're precious to me. Just do better next time, okay?"_

"You were…" he said, his voice trailing away.

"Yes," Juvia said in amusement. "You should try to be more aware of your employees, Gray."

"I noticed that she was acting strangely, but I had other thoughts in my head."

"Like how you were going to break it off with Lucy-san?"

The question caught him off-guard. He couldn't help but glare at her. "None of your business."

"Really, it is Juvia's business," the blue-haired woman said. "Juvia has met Lucy-san during Gajeel and Levy's anniversary. Lucy-san apologized to Juvia."

_Lucy apologized? _Gray was speechless.

"Juvia would have understood if you only said that you were in love with someone else. She would have broken off the engagement."

Gray rolled his eyes. "You don't know about the threats your grandfather made to my mother?"

"Juvia knows of that. Grandfather does not hide things from his family, unlike what you believe."

"What?! Then if you can do something about it, why didn't you talk to the old man?!" Gray exploded, standing from his chair.

"Juvia could have done something, but with enough reason from you. You did not say that you were planning to marry Lucy Heartphilia-san. So Juvia thought that it was alright for the engagement to pull through. She could have found someone else to marry, or at least, grandfather would have," Juvia stated simply.

"Fuck!" Gray cursed, throwing his wine glass at the floor. Juvia didn't even wince. She was used to Gray's tantrums.

"It's too late," Juvia said. "We cannot do anything about it now."

"Well, you don't say!" Gray shot back at her, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"She is happy with Natsu-san," Juvia said. "They have a family together – two beautiful daughters who would hate to see their family ruined because of you. If you truly love her, let her go."

"What would you know about letting go?" this was said with such nastiness that it would make any other person flinch. But not Juvia.

"Juvia has let you go. You struggle so hard to the point you killed her."

If this were any other situation, Gray would have laughed. But the way her blue eyes drowned him made it hard for him to breathe. He suddenly became sad for her. For the first time, he felt an incredible amount of guilt engulf him. But he couldn't apologize. It was hypocritical of him to say sorry now. After everything that he did, it was a miracle that Juvia was even talking to him in such a calm manner.

There would be a time for an apology. A time when everything was right. A time when the apology won't be forced. A time when he was sincere about being sorry about everything that he did.

"Do you want to maintain possession of your company?" Juvia suddenly asked, knowing that saying what she was thinking would surely earn her another scolding from Jellal.

Gray looked at her and nodded.

"Then Juvia shall stay married to you," Juvia declared. "Only if you promise to make me a member of the board of Milkovich Group of Companies. You shall return all Juvia's properties and companies under Juvia's control, but of course you shall be their CEO by name but that's that. You shall now go home every night and make this house your residence. You shall stop all of your affairs and be a good father to James, do you understand?"

He had done it. He had successfully lost the lady. He had turned her into something that she was not, forced by desperation. She now controlled all of him. After a year of controlling of her, he was now faced in the opposite situation. He made her realize that she had power over him and the potential to destroy him. That unrealized and undiscovered power was now laid bare before the two of them.

"But for now, Juvia wants to leave," she said.

"What? Where?"

"Juvia is taking James with her to Edolas," she replied. "She needs time for herself. She will come back when she feels like it. She thinks that is enough time for you to settle your affairs."

Gray had the audacity to redden at that. But he said nothing. He didn't know how long she will be gone and he was unsure what to expect when she returned. But there was one thing he knew – life would never be the same again.

"What will you get in all of this?" Gray inquired, watching her steadily. "Why now?"

"Juvia was stupid enough to believe that you had a heart."

* * *

"So you mean to say that you did not file for divorce?"

Jellal Fernandes was disappointed. He could never be angry towards his relatives. If there was one thing that Jose Porla taught them well it was loyalty to their blood and kin. Even though the old man had a twisted way of showing his love, everything that he did was done with the best intentions at heart. Now that he was the head of their family, he would do his best to protect everyone in his life.

And that included his cousin, Juvia Loxar.

Ever since they were children, Jellal and Juvia were always close. They were the ones who had the closest age gap towards each other. The rest of their cousins had barely reached puberty. They were the only adults and they were entrusted with continuing Jose's legacy.

For the continuation of the empire, Juvia was offered up as a bride to Ul Milkovich's son. Jellal's first impressions of Gray Fullbuster were good. According to reports, he was a man with integrity and he was good in what he does. That was the reason why he agreed to the arrangement. He would never put his cousin in a bad marriage, even though everything was already arranged and they had no choice. He would at least set her up with the best possible man in their circle.

It appeared that Gray Fullbuster was decent enough for her.

But he was wrong.

He had never seen someone snuff the life out of anyone that fast. Juvia was a shining star on her own. Even though she was sometimes too serious for her own good, she knew how to have fun. She was optimistic and loving. She was unlike all the socialite women in their world. She had intelligence, sophistication, and consideration. Unfortunately, even with that much spirit, love can manage to break it.

Jellal wasn't a monk. He knew every single one of Gray's moves. He knew who he did business transactions with and he knew who he did sexual encounters with. He knew every single one of his affairs and was the one responsible for the girls establishing lives of their own just so that they would leave Gray alone. But his patience and his help had limits. He can't spend unnecessary amounts of money just to pay Gray's women off. He knew he had to find a way for Juvia out.

And that's when he reviewed the contract that the two had.

There was no clause there that stated that Juvia would lose all of her properties if she divorced Gray. All that would be lost were the companies incorporated into Gray's businesses when they married, since they were now named after him. But as for Juvia's personal assets and her own wealth, they would be untouched.

And that was more than enough for Juvia and her son.

With that information at hand, he informed Juvia, who seemed to be accepting of what he had told her. It seemed that her year of martyrdom has finally come to a close. He was glad that it didn't take her a longer time to realize that this marriage was fruitless. Juvia was, after all, smart.

But now, he seriously doubted where his cousin's wits went.

"Juvia laid out conditions for him to follow."

"And you seriously think he'll follow?"

Jellal was seated in his study. He had a glass of scotch in one hand while his other was firmly rested under his chin, observing Juvia. The young woman was seated directly across from him, still in her travel clothes, having just arrived from the airport a few hours ago with James and Laki in tow. It seemed that she had informed Gray that she would need reprieve for a while, but did not state that she would go through with the divorce. Beside Jellal was Erza, who was clutching his shoulder just to calm her irate husband.

"He will," Juvia answered. "He's threatened that his estates will be lost."

"Everyone knows how much Gray values Ul's legacy," Erza stated. "He would do anything to keep them."

"Including marrying Juvia, in fact," Jellal added. "But see where it got them."

"You can't force these things, Juvia," Erza agreed with her husband.

"But Juvia can still try," Juvia said, confirming to the couple in front of her that she would also do anything to keep Gray by her side.

Jellal then switched topics, chuckling slightly. "You really were going to shoot his woman?"

Juvia nodded, smiling a bit. Erza laughed at that. "We can cover up the crime if you did it," the redhead said, effectively silencing the two blue-haired cousins. Erza was a dangerous woman who sometimes didn't know the proper timing for such statements.

"So what are you planning to do?" Jellal asked.

"Juvia is going to stay here for a while," Juvia answered. "She is going to help out with the businesses, if that is alright, Jellal-nii-sama."

"Of course it's fine," Jellal said, smiling fondly.

"How long do you think you'll have to stay here?" Erza asked.

"Until Juvia heals. And Gray has to sort out his issues first before Juvia returns. Juvia will be taking over some of the businesses as discussed."

"Did he sign a contract just in case? We have to make sure," Jellal told her.

"He did. Juvia made sure."

"Good."

* * *

It has been two weeks.

Two weeks since Juvia and James left.

Even Laki was gone. Juvia took her since she trusted the young woman above anyone else.

For the past two weeks, Gray had been going home to the mansion. It wasn't because that was what Juvia said. In fact, she hadn't even said that he should start going home until their return. But he wanted to. It seemed that he desired to be in his own space where everything was homey and personal.

And right now, he was at a restaurant a few blocks from his building. This was where he usually ate and it was his routine. It was just that he was used to someone eating with him – a date. He was always with a lady friend and for the past month, it was Angel. But after the fiasco, he was sure that she would never want to see him again for fear of being shot between the eyes.

He took a sip of water, feeling unusually bland compared to his usual order of spirits. He was about to signal for the waiter to deliver his main course when a shock of familiar blonde hair stopped him in his movement.

It was Lucy.

And she was alone.

The woman was looking around as someone was guiding her towards her table. To Gray's horror, it seemed that the only available table for a small party of one was right beside his own. He wanted to curse his luck.

It has been a long time since he last saw Lucy Heartphilia in the flesh.

In fact, it was for a year and a half. And so much has changed.

Her hair was longer now, reaching way past her shoulders. It was in its usual style, flowing naturally down her back. She wore a stylish pink blouse and white slacks. It was a simple outfit and it seemed that she only came by here to eat. He could feel his heart thundering against his chest as she approached him. Her brown eyes finally found his dark blue ones. Recognition came upon them, followed by hesitation. But she couldn't back out now. She was already being seated at her table.

Gray finally realized that the pounding in his chest was not caused by his unwavering love for this woman. It was because of the lack of closure for him. It was because he wasn't quite sure where they stood now. It was because he treated her horribly for something that wasn't her fault.

Pretty much like how he treated Juvia.

She was her friend first and foremost. Even before they became lovers. They were the best of friends. He, Natsu, and Lucy were the unbreakable trio. They leaned on each other when there was no one else for them. They knew each other since they started school. When they Gray and Lucy took it to the next level, he had no idea that he won't be able to stand by his code of friendship and dismiss her when he found out that she didn't react to his liking when they broke up.

He was the one who gave up on them. Them as friends.

"Hey Gray."

Her voice had haunted his dreams months after he was married. As time passed by, little by little, his mind and his heart started forgetting her and he thought that it was a good thing. But it wasn't. It was like spitting on someone's memory. He had no decency, as Juvia pointed out lately.

"Hey," he responded, managing, after more than a year, to look Lucy in the eye and actually smile at her.

The smile seemed to have caught the young woman off guard. She didn't expect Gray to suddenly sport that warm, friendly smile that she had missed. The smile wasn't romantic – it was back to the old Gray that she knew and appreciated. It seemed that Levy was right. Juvia leaving had an impact on him.

"Mind if I sit with you?" Gray asked, trying to step it up.

Lucy grinned at him. "I think I should be the one to move tables. You already started eating and I have yet to order."

Gray gestured to the seat across him. "Whatever you wish."

Lucy moved, asking him to sit down when he attempted to draw her chair for her. "So, how are you?" she asked, typical concern in her voice.

"I guess you heard."

"Difficult not to when Gajeel keeps on gloating all week."

Gray clucked his tongue. "That man really is a jerk."

"Sorry for saying this, but not as much as you," Lucy said with amusement.

"Hai, hai," Gray agreed grudgingly. "I've been such a dick, haven't I?"

"That's a bit of an understatement," Lucy commented as the waiter approached her with a menu. She quickly perused the appetizers, entrees, and desserts, ordering instantly as if she knew what she was going to eat the moment she went in.

"So," she proceeded, "what're you planning to do now?"

"Behave," he answered. "Set things right. Starting now, actually."

Lucy laughed. He missed hearing her carefree laugh. "Good."

"Look, I'm really sorry, Lucy," Gray said, leaning a bit towards her. "I was an irrational bastard. I shouldn't have held everything against you. You were the mature one in the break up."

"It's alright, Gray. I already forgave you a long time ago."

"But what I did to you… to Natsu – "

"You really have a habit of underestimating people, Gray," Lucy said, her eyebrows raised. "Don't underestimate our friendship. Especially Natsu. In fact, if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have forgiven you."

Gray was floored. Natsu, the knuckleheaded bastard, seemed to be the one who has taken the high road first. He shouldn't be that surprised though. The young man always had a big heart. He had an optimistic and light-hearted view on life that was so infectious. Gray realized that Lucy was often the type who took things too seriously. It seemed that Natsu balanced her off perfectly.

"You two are really great for each other," Gray conceded. Finally, after more than a year. It felt good.

"I know," Lucy agreed, grinning wider. "I'm glad you finally realized that."

Gray munched silently on his entrée while Lucy started with her appetizers. "So," she suddenly said, "what are you planning to do with Juvia? I think she's wonderful for you."

Gray groaned. "People keep saying that."

"Really? You've been talking to people?"

"Well, most of my employees keep saying how nice Juvia is."

"You've really lost a lot of friends huh?"

"I shut myself out," Gray admitted. "I've been with _other _company."

"Women," Lucy revealed. "I know. Your affairs weren't exactly a secret. You've been a hot topic in our circles."

Gray's cheeks were tinged in pink. "I wasn't happy."

"You didn't make the most out of what you had. You didn't take a look at what you had. Juvia is an amazing woman."

"You met her."

"How did you know?" Lucy asked, mildly surprised.

"She told me," Gray said. "I actually went home the night of Levy's anniversary. I waited for Juvia and she went home really late, with a man no less."

Lucy was silenced at that. She wasn't about to tell Gray that the man who drove Juvia home was his own half-brother, Lyon Vastia – a man that he hadn't even seen for years now.

"Did anything happen?" she asked.

"I don't know. I don't think so. Juvia's not really the type."

"I thought so."

"And then two weeks ago, I brought Angel to our house," Gray said, his head lowered in shame. "I didn't know what I was thinking. I think I wanted to get back at her for going home with a man, so I brought along my current mistress."

Lucy's eyes widened. Without warning, she flicked Gray's forehead with her finger.

"Ouch!" Gray exclaimed, holding his forehead.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Don't be overdramatic. That's the least of what you deserve. Don't you have any idea that the only reason why Juvia was with someone was because she was too drunk to drive? And why the hell would you bring your mistress to your house? To let your kid meet his future stepmom?!"

Gray sighed. "I know! I messed up! Anyway, I didn't expect to find Juvia there. I thought she was working. But she was there and she had an argument with Angel."

"And you did nothing?" Lucy said, evidently disgusted.

"I didn't know what to do, okay?"

Lucy was the one who sighed this time. "And?"

"Then Juvia pulled out a gun on Angel."

Lucy's eyes almost dropped out of its sockets. She suddenly started shaking in laughter, startling other diners. Gray narrowed his eyes at her, warning her to shut up. "So this is why Gajeel kept on making that evil laugh of his! This was what Juvia did!"

"Gajeel told everyone?!" Gray said, aghast.

"Of course not! Well, except Levy but that's an exception since she's his wife. I guess Juvia told him," Lucy replied.

"Well shit," Gray cursed.

Lucy frowned at him. "You can't expect anything less. You stepped on her, Gray."

"I know."

"Are you sorry? Did you say you were sorry?"

"I am. Not yet."

Lucy stared him down, making him squirm. Only Lucy could do that to him. "And why the hell not?"

"I'm not yet ready. I really don't know if saying sorry was appropriate at that moment when I don't really mean it."

She took a deep breath as the waiter took her plate and replaced it with her entrée. "Well, you have a lot to make up for. It's a miracle that she didn't push through with the divorce."

"How'd you know that?"

"Well, that was the part that Gajeel told me," Lucy said. "Because that was the part that pissed him off the most."

"That's for sure."

"Don't start on Gajeel, Gray," Lucy scolded him. "He's Juvia's best friend and he's been itching to do something bad to you. I'll make sure to take this reform of yours seriously, if I were you."

"Enough with the threats. I think I have enough of them now," Gray told her.

"How long 'til they return?" Lucy questioned him.

"I don't know," Gray said. "Juvia wasn't very specific."

"Well, I won't ask further. I'm just glad that you're finally coming to your sense," Lucy said in a relaxed manner. "And you have to fix it with Natsu personally. I won't be your spokesperson."

"Already planning on it," Gray stated, grinning at his friend.

"And then you have to win over Levy once more," Lucy began saying, "and of course Gajeel, because he's a very important person to Juvia. Then Juvia's family. I'm sure you have a lot of explaining to do to your in-laws."

Gray suddenly became nauseated at the thought. Dirtying up your life is so easy but cleaning it up takes a lot of work.

"Then of course, you have to make it up to Juvia. She's the one you want to impress the most."

Gray nodded.

Lucy observed Gray's features, seeing how aged they've become under all of this stress. She exhaled in exasperation. "How do you feel about her, Gray? I mean, the truth."

"I don't know," Gray said. "Honestly, I don't. I haven't really spent that much time with her and I've only ever seen her in a bad light. But recently…"

"Recently?"

"Well, I kinda had a different feeling for her when she went home that night wearing that skimpy black dress," Gray admitted, blushing furiously.

Lucy exploded in gales of laughter. "Levy is a genius! It was a present from her! I guess it did serve its purpose of attracting men. It attracted you!"

Gray suddenly glared at her. "What? Levy made her wear that dress to attract other guys' attention?!"

"Stop going all alpha male on her, Gray. You have no right."

His lips were set in a grim line, biting his tongue before it made a scathing retort. She had a point. But still…

"Well, at least attraction is in the bang. It won't be long," Lucy said.

"Won't be long?" he repeated.

"Until you actually fall for the girl."

Gray nearly choked on his food. "You're far too much of a romantic, Lucy."

"I am, huh?" Lucy said, pouting slightly. "Oh well, don't go running to me if you decide to fall in love with her. For all I know, she's losing her love for you."

"Isn't it obvious?" Gray said, grimacing.

"And that bothers you?"

The searching look that Lucy had bothered Gray to no end. "I still don't know my feelings Lucy. I don't think I should rush into this."

"Whatever you say. Just don't take too long."

"I won't," Gray replied.

Lucy smiled. "It's good to have you back, Gray."

"Not quite back, but getting there."

* * *

**Review each chapter, will you? :D I worked hard on this!**


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